Sept 16, 1845 - Orrin Porter Rockwell shoots Robert F. Smith and Frank Worrell of the Carthage Greys militia who participated in the murder of Joseph Smith. Worrell dies. Later that day Rockwell kills four anti-Mormons at Highland Branch, near Warsaw, Illinois.A committee of five is appointed to carry a letter from Brigham Young to vigilante leader Col. Levi Williams "stating to him that if the mob would cease their destructive operations, it is our calculations to leave the country in the spring . . ."

Sept 16, 1877 - Wilford Woodruff preaches: "But when we came to this country, what did we find here? A barren desert as barren as the Desert of Sahara; and the only signs of life were a few black crickets, some cayote wolves, and a few poor wandering Indians." However his journal for July 24, 1847 reads: "We gazed with wonder and admiration upon the vast rich fertile valley which lay for about 25 miles in length & 16 miles in width Clothed with the Heaviest garb of green vegetation . . ."

Sept 16, 1905 - Last polygamous marriages performed by Canadian patriarch commissioned by President Joseph F. Smith.

Sept 16, 1911 - Public report concerning man who attempts to extort $100,000 from church president to prevent publication of covertly obtained interior photographs of Sale Lake temple. Two days later First Presidency commissions James E. Talmage to write THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. Published a year later its photographs omit tobacco spittoons from Council Room of First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, but include Holy of Holies (photograph deleted from later editions). Ordinance of second anointing is performed for couples in Holy of Holies.

Sept 16, 1933 - CHURCH SECTION full-page article, "The Problem of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon" by Sidney B. Sperry and H. Grant Vest. This is example of LDS leadership's delayed acceptance of B. H. Robert's recommendation decade earlier to openly confront textual problems in Mormon scriptures. Roberts dies eleven days after this article. On Sept 30, CHURCH SECTION prints "The Synoptic Problem in Its Relation To Modern Revelation" and "The Johannine Problem In Its Relation To Modern Revelation" on Oct 7.

Sept 16, 1939 - At Salt Lake City's first exhibition of television, Heber J. Grant writes that since "they were not going to mention any names of the men connected with the invention, I decided not to refer to Mr. [Philo] Farnsworth. I did, however, refer to Harvey Fletcher in my brief talk, as one of the greatest scientists, so acknowledged, working in the laboratory of the great Bell Telephone System." Farnsworth and Fletcher are first Mormon inventors to receive national recognition since Jonathan Browning. Member of YMMIA general board at LDS headquarters, Fletcher develops stereophonic sound and television.

Sept 16, 1971 - President Smith faints during First Presidency meeting, and goes to temple council meeting "over he protests of the Brethren." During Thursday meeting on Oct. 21 he becomes ill and has "to be helped from the council room."

Sept 16, 1978 - First conference for LDS females over age eleven, broadcast over closed-circuit radio to meeting houses. Although not part of general conference, as is male equivalent, this is first step in giving LDS females a meeting similar to that which Mormon males experienced since 1830. In Sept. 1993 this is divided into Relief Society's and Young Women's "general meeting."